Exemplifying its commitment to safety as it helps businesses grow, Unitrans has won the coveted Most Outstanding Contractor Partner Safety Award at the Rio Tinto RockStars of the Year Safety Awards for the second year in a row.
Unitrans, which went up against an estimated 18,000 other contractors across 35 countries in six continents to win the accolade, believes that the implementation of a good safety strategy as part of a holistic supply chain solution is vital to ensure the safety of staff and clients while protecting products from theft every step of the way.
βIβm exceptionally proud that we have won this award for the second consecutive year and that Rio Tintoβs safety maturity model has been implemented across the operation at Richards Bay Minerals,β says John Kettlewell, Mining Executive at Unitrans.
βThis remarkable achievement reflects the power of partnership and Unitransβs dedication to safety excellence. Their journey demonstrates the positive impact of focus, commitment and collaboration, proving that meaningful change is possible when a team unites to prioritise safety,β says Werner Duvenhage, Managing Director of Rio Tinto Iron TitaniumΒ – Africa Operations.
To meet Rio Tintoβs stringent safety standards, Unitrans was required to demonstrate to international auditors that it had fully integrated the minerβs safety culture and practices across all its operations. This included adopting a proactive approach to risk and safety management, such as conducting regular self-assessments. Additionally, Unitrans must provide ongoing progress reports to the management team at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), ensuring transparency and continuous alignment with safety expectations.
Unitrans also had to prove it had a strong focus on onboarding and supporting new employees to adapt quickly to RBMβs safety processes. It stood out through its superior safety technologies such as collision avoidance and driver-fatigue alert systems.
In addition, the company demonstrated a commitment to employee feedback, ensuring a workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and continuously improving.
The pillars of safety
Unitrans, which has been working with Rio Tinto at its Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) operations for more than four decades, follows the minerβs four-pillar approach to safety, helping ensure that the entire working environment is safe: Care, Courage, Curiosity, and Collaboration.
βWe start each day with the care principle through holding two meetings at which employee wellbeing and the previous dayβs experiences are discussed. In these meetings, we prioritise everyoneβs physical and emotional well-being. Through the structure of our meetings, we build respect and trust of colleagues, while also emphasising environmental sustainability,β explains Sandile Shange, Unitransβ Contract Manager.
Care shows itself in a culture of being our βBrotherβs keeper,β while courage empowers everyone to speak up about potential hazards β like spotting a new pothole β so that risks can be mitigated.
Curiosity flourishes in learning and improvement sessions where everyone learns from one another and Collaboration ensures Unitransβ teams plan and execute together to meet performance targets.
As part of Unitransβ commitment to RBM, it integrated the latest in trusted artificial intelligence solutions to analyse data related to various aspects of safety, such as driver fatigue.
A complete safety strategy also boosts RBM and all Unitransβ other clientsβ growth through more cost-effective and streamlined processes, enabling Unitransβ customers to improve their profitability through better productivity.
βAt the heart of our mission is empowering businesses with supply chain solutions rooted in uncompromising safety. This isnβt just about risk mitigation; itβs a strategic growth accelerator,β says Edwin Hewitt, CEO.
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